Bluegrass: Day 2 Show Stoppers
It’s always a matter of who is going to step up and who is going to star on the final day of any tournament. It was no different as the conclusion of the Adidas Bluegrass Tournament played out Sunday in Louisville. You can see which teams ended up on top here. Below, you can read about the Day 2 Show Stoppers featuring the players who caught our attention the most. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Annabelle Groomes OH AVC Cle 16 Red: Groomes, a 5-star recruit, is showing there is very little she can’t do on the court. We’ve seen Groomes three times this season already and the first two she was setting and hitting in playing a vital role. In Louisville, the lefty was playing six-rotations on the outside and doing it very well. What value her versatility has! Mallory Johnson L/DS Far Out 15 Black: Part of the Class of 2027, Johnson is playing up and playing well. She plays under control and is a sound passer and defender. Josie Noble MB Far Out 15 Black: Noble was a big factor. She brought offense to the lineup with her ability to thud balls to the floor. She also puts up a strong block. Alana Bailey MB Far Out 15 Black: Bailey is a bit undersized in the middle but she’s quick and gets off the ground very well. She gives Far Out another scoring option. Karis Chatfield OH Far Out 15 Black: Chatfield is the six-rotation mainstay for Far Out and she brings a lot of fire and competitiveness to the lineup. Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: NKYVC isn’t going to be anyone based on size alone, but Dyas does bring a much-needed presence to the front row. She’s a strong hitter and blocker and she can swing the match to NKYVC’s favor when she checks in. Addyson Bianchini S/RS NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Bianchini is an upbeat two-way player who sets and hits. She has a nice release and locates well and can also help out providing offense. Kirsten Kemper S NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Kemper sets across the back row and she also has a nice delivery and consistent location. Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: The 5-star recruit from the Class of 2027 is must-watch volleyball! That Ward is still in eighth-grade and is as smooth as she is makes for a fun time. She gets up effortlessly and can simply unload on balls. Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: A 4-star recruit, Hepler owns the back row. She’s a sound passer out of serve receive and you can tell opponents work on keeping the ball away from her as she’s not one to target. Sophia Gisslen S Team Pineapple 15 Black: A 3-star recruit, Gisslen knows how to get the job done. She’s an even-keeled setter who does a great job leading and guiding the offense. Cala Haffner L/DS Team Pineapple 15 Black: Haffner, a 4-star recruit, is another defender who anchors the back row and can make all the plays needed. She’s rarely off the mark with her passing. MaryKate Scheumann OH Team Pineapple 15 Black: Team Pineapple was certainly benefitting from Scheumann and her aggressiveness on the attack. Scheumann wasn’t holding back and was taking big-time swings on the left and scoring consistently. D’Aira Whitner MB AVC Cle 15 Red: Whitner, a 3-star recruit, is a quick middle and that causes trouble for opponents. She can get up and swing before the block is formed. Brooke Codey OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: A seventh-grader, Codey is the six-rotation anchor KiVA relies a lot on. She’s asked to take the big swings on the left and deliver in the clutch moments and she does a great job of it. Emily Poteraj MB Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Opponents know KiVA is going to set Poteraj the ball and they still struggle to slow her down. She has a nice arm and can generate pace. Lyla Sands MB HPSTL 14 Royal: Sands is an active middle and someone HPSTL will look to get the ball to. Kendall Hubbard S Elevation 14 Molly: Hubbard usually runs a 6-2, hitting across the front. But Elevation was short-handed on Day 2 and thus Hubbard was running a 5-1. She did well in trying to incorporate all her hitters and looking to keep the defense guessing. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Comer was once again bringing her passion and play to the court and shining. She’s a big-time factor for Munciana when she’s on the floor and she gives them much-needed height across the front as well. Caroline Hanchar OH Munciana 14 Chipmunks: A bit undersized on the pin, Hanchar isn’t afraid to attack bigger blocks. She was taking aggressive cuts time and time again and helping deliver points to her side. Kendyl Strack L/DS Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Strack was holding it down in the back row and doing well helping keep Munciana in system. Jentelle McNairl OH Alliance 14 Ren: McNairl is an athletic outside and one to keep tabs on. She’s spring with a lively arm and she’s only going to get better and she gains more control and experience. Addison Makun MB Adidas KiVA 16 Red: A 4-star recruit, Makun can overwhelm opponents at time. She’s long and can hit straight down and it puts tons of pressure on opponents to try and defend her. Audrey Asleson S SPVB 16 Elite: We wrote about Asleson on Day 1 and she was back doing her thing on Day 2. That’s not surprising. She’s a smooth disher who knows how to run an offense. Bella Bullington OH SPVB 16 Elite: A 4-star recruit, there was no one in the division with a bigger arm. Bullington was a force to be reckoned with.
